13 Days 12 Nights Vietnamese Food Tour ( VN13 )

Hello! Welcome to Hanoi, Vietnam.

• Upon arrival at Noi Bai Airport – Hanoi, your car and tour guide will pick you up, hold up a welcome sign with your name on it and take you straight to your hotel in the Old Quarter.
• In the afternoon, you will have free time to relax, in the evening, your tour guide will take you to a Hanoi restaurant, where you will enjoy Vietnamese cuisine.
• You will enjoy tea and learn more about their traditions and beliefs. Next, you will watch a cooking demonstration. Finally, gather around the dinner table with your host family for a unique experience. Return to your hotel with a deeper understanding of local life.

Overnight in Hanoi

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Morning: After breakfast, your guide and car will pick you up at the hotel lobby and take you on a half-day tour including Ba Dinh Square, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh Stilt House and One Pillar Pagoda.

• Visit the historic Temple of Literature (Vietnam’s first university, built in the 11th century), the iconic Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple.
• Culinary experience, at lunchtime, you will meet Ms. Anh Tuyet, a recognized Culinary Artist and Preservationist of Hanoi’s Traditional Cuisine, and enjoy lunch at her restaurant. She is the seventh generation of a family originally from Hanoi.

Afternoon: After lunch, you will return to the hotel to rest, relax or enjoy a massage.

• At around 4pm you meet your guide again and take a cyclo (three-wheeled bicycle) through the French colonial architecture of the area known as the French Quarter, past French-style villas, the Vietnam History Museum, the heritage Metropole Legend Hotel and the Opera House, etc.

Evening: Join a walking tour of Hanoi’s best food spots with a famous local food blogger who has a huge passion for the food and culture of his country.

• You will be picked up at your hotel and begin your food tour at Thanh Ha Market, a bustling market, blending with the sounds and smells of Hanoi. You will experience Vietnamese cuisine and sample some of Hanoi’s unusual delicacies.
• Go to the bustling Dong Xuan Market, where you can sample some local dishes such as Pho Tiu (pork and herbs noodles) and Bun Dau (tofu in a soup with rice vermicelli and shrimp paste). The culinary expert will share the secrets of these dishes and explain the Vietnamese mealtimes.
• Visiting ceremoniaal pastry stalls and sampling special French-influenced desserts, you will stop at one of the Old Quarter’s busiest but smallest cafes to sit down and have a coffee before returning to your hotel.

Overnight in Hanoi

Meals: (B/L/D)

Vietnamese cuisine is famous for its richness and diversity, with attractive dishes including Hanoi.

Morning: Tour guide and car take you to Ngoc Thuy Market – a vibrant and authentic local market. Here, you will meet the chefs and tour the market, explain about local products, explain about market culture and encourage you to taste some of the most exotic ingredients. You can buy fresh ingredients to cook with all the dishes you want.

• After shopping, you will visit the Ly Thuong Kiet Hero Temple, a local pagoda and a local herb garden, You will meet your private chef and be introduced to the art of Hanoi cuisine, vegetables, herbs & spices as well as how to prepare & use them.
• Go to the cooking school, where you will go into the kitchen and start cooking 4 main dishes of a traditional meal. The practical lesson includes learning cooking, cutting techniques and how to use Vietnamese vegetable peelers & knives. You will be carefully guided step by step by a professional chef to create your own Masterpiece.

Afternoon: After what you have learned, you will sit with the chef to prepare the dishes and enjoy with the dishes you have prepared yourself with the chef.

• Say goodbye to your chef and return to the hotel, then relax, or you can continue to explore Hanoi Old Quarter and try famous dishes of the lake such as Pho Cuon (fresh spring rolls) and Nom (mixed salad).

Overnight in Hanoi

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Morning: After breakfast, your guide will pick you up and take you through the fertile fields of the Red River Delta to the legendary Ha Long Bay, where you will board a Sailboat where you will spend the evening. The limestone mountains and islands provide a peaceful backdrop for your excursion.

• Upon arrival, you will board a sailboat, each with its own itinerary, to begin your excursion around the islands and mysterious caves.

Afternoon: After enjoying lunch on board, you will spend time sunbathing on the deck and taking in the views of the bay.

• Then, you will visit the “Grotte des Surprises” Cave, a hidden gem, as the boat glides past the limestone mountains, and coastal fishing villages.
• You will enjoy the comfortable space on board, and take in the views of the bay. The afternoon is free for you to enjoy the scenery.
• At the end of the day, you will sail to the overnight anchorage area. You have the opportunity to attend a chef’s cooking demonstration or enjoy a breathtaking sunset on the deck before a delicious dinner.
• In the evening, you are free to watch movies or join the crew in squid fishing before retiring to your room for a good night’s sleep.

Overnight on board in Ha Long Bay

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Morning: You wake up early, practice Tai Chi to start the day as a local custom. Join a morning class with a ‘Local Expert’ on the Junk’s deck in a beautiful natural setting. You are free to swim in the morning, or experience kayaking and rowing through Bright and Dark Caves to admire the sparkling rock walls.

• Return to the Junk. Check out and enjoy a buffet breakfast back to the port. Disembark around noon for the drive back to Hanoi.

Afternoon: From Hanoi, you will be transferred to the airport to catch a flight to Da Nang, central Vietnam.

• Upon arrival at Da Nang airport, your guide and private driver will pick you up and take you to your hotel in Hoi An, a UNESCO heritage town. Hoi An has two beaches just 5km (3 miles) away with many beautiful beach resorts, so let us know if you would like to stay at the beach.

Overnight in Hoi An

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You are free to explore Hoi An or relax at the hotel. Hoi An is truly a culinary paradise. You can try many local specialties at restaurants in Hoi An. In addition, you can choose vegetarian food. In addition, you can learn how to cook with the most famous chef in Hoi An.

Overnight in Hoi An

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Morning: After breakfast, depart from Hoi An to the Imperial City of Hue. The 4-hour journey takes you along the East Sea, offering breathtaking views, through the Hai Van Pass (“Cloud Pass”). Along the way, you will stop to visit some places such as Non Nuoc Stone Carving Village, Marble Mountains and Lang Co Beach.

Arrive at your hotel in Hue at noon. You will be served a light lunch with some local Hue specialties:

• Nem Lui (Hue lemongrass skewers)
• Banh Beo (Steamed rice cakes) …
• Bun thit nuong (Grilled pork vermicelli) …
•  Banh it ram (Fried sticky rice)

Afternoon: You will be taken to the outskirts to visit the most impressive tomb of King Tu Duc in Hue to learn more about the life of the Royal Family. Along the way, you will stop to visit the incense and conical hat making villages.

Evening: Hue is famous for its royal cuisine. The feasts of the legendary Nguyen emperors included 300 rare dishes served in over a thousand bowls. In the evening, you are free to enjoy the Royal Banquet, entertained by Hue royal court music, and savor the royal dishes, each delicately prepared to represent the dragon, phoenix, and peacock, giving you a unique experience.

Overnight in Hue

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Morning: After breakfast, you will take a cyclo tour around Hue City to Dong Ba Market, a bustling market, you will have the opportunity to explore Anthony Bourdain’s favorite Noddle shop – World famous Chef and TV Producer, you will taste the best Bun Bo Hue “Hue Noddle Soup”.

• Then go to Thien Mu Pagoda, get on a dragon boat, you will sail along the Perfume River.
• Explore the UNESCO World Heritage wonder of the Atmospheric Citadel including the Forbidden City. Then, go to the Hue Royal Antiquities Museum to admire the collection of decorations, where royal treasures are kept.
• Visit the house of the former Princess Ngoc Son, you will have the opportunity to “Interact with the locals” and meet the locals and enjoy home-cooked food, and experience their daily life.

Afternoon: After lunch, you go to Hue airport to take a flight to Ho Chi Minh City/ Saigon. Upon arrival, the car will take you to the hotel in the city center to check in. You are free to relax.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

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Morning: After breakfast, you will start your tour of Dong Khoi Street, visiting the Heritage and modern high-rise buildings, you will walk past the Opera House and the old Hotel de Ville, to the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office, designed by Gustave Eiffel.

• Visit the War Remnants Museum and the Reunification Palace, then head to Ben Thanh Market, one of the earliest remaining architectural works in old Saigon.
• At noon, you will enjoy a meal at BLOOM restaurant, a culinary training facility developed by the charity ‘Supporting Children Without Parents’, which provides training for disadvantaged young people in the hospitality industry, helping them become independent.

Afternoon: End the tour and return to the hotel for a rest.

Evening: Free to experience the nightlife and enjoy delicious food, tasting dishes from Northern Vietnam, Hue and the South. Foodie is the most praised Vietnamese food tour and is designed to introduce you to the most attractive dishes and desserts.

• During the food tour, you will be taken to the street stalls and alleys in the city, we will show you where many tourists often come to enjoy, you enjoy delicious dishes.
• The food tour focuses on attractive street food, besides you also have the opportunity to admire the poetic beauty, participate in exciting games.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

Meals: (B/L/D)

Morning: After breakfast, your guide and driver will take you out of Ho Chi Minh City by private car to Ben Tre Town in the Mekong Delta, with its vast rice fields and stunning scenery. Known as the ‘rice bowl’ of Vietnam, this region specializes in producing Vietnam’s fruits, rice, sugarcane and coconuts.

• After a two-hour drive you will arrive in Ben Tre, where you will board a motorboat and cruise through narrow, winding canals through coconut forests, stopping to visit the local industry of brick making and hand-weaving sleeping mats. Learn about traditional crafts that have been passed down for generations.
• Travel along the village roads, visit local houses to taste fresh fruit, enjoy honey tea, and see the production of local coconut candy and many other handmade products from coconut husks and coconut fibers.
• Next, you take a small boat ride through the palm-lined canals, gliding gently along the water, the quiet countryside scenery is a relaxing place to rest.
• Enjoy the feeling of sitting on the back of a rickshaw, passing through hamlets, rice fields, coconut forests and lush fruit orchard farms while meeting the locals.

Lunch: Your guide will take you to a riverside restaurant for lunch, tasting delicious dishes such as: Banh Xeo and Grilled Elephant Ear Fish. Then you will travel to Can Tho, where you check in to your hotel.

Evening: Your chef will pick you up from the hotel and take you to the local market by the river for shopping. You will choose your own ingredients and learn how to cook. After having fun at the market, go to a local family’s house, where you will join a cooking class. With the help of your private chef, you will learn how to cook some delicious Mekong dishes such as Banh Xeo (Vietnamese rice pizza) and Hu Tieu (Southern style noodle soup). After preparing your food, you will enjoy your dinner.

Overnight in Can Tho

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Morning: After breakfast, you board a boat to explore the beauty of the Lower Mekong River.

• Head to Cai Rang floating market, the floating market in the Mekong Delta, hundreds of boats selling all kinds of fruits and vegetables grown in the Mekong Delta, with local products.
• Get off the boat, you will walk to see the fruit gardens and visit a rice mill and rice noodle shop.
• Return to the City, you visit Binh Thuy Ancient House with ancient Vietnamese style and French architecture.

Afternoon: Depart from Can Tho, you travel for 4 hours to return to Ho Chi Minh City, return to the hotel in the late afternoon, you are free to explore the scenery.

• For a fine dining experience, head to the world-class French restaurant La Villa run by celebrity Chef Thierry Mounon. Located on a quiet street near Thao Dien, a short taxi ride from the city center. La Villa French Restaurant serves authentic French cuisine with a genuine love for top products.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

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Your private transfer greets you at the hotel after breakfast and escorts you to Ho Chi Minh International Airport where you board your flight home or travel on to more adventures, we will help you with the planning.

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